<![CDATA[This study aims to describe the denotative and connotative meanings in the narrative of Trans 7's Xpose Uncensored program, which depicts life in Islamic boarding schools. The mass media play a strategic role in shaping public perception, but media representations of Islamic boarding schools are not always neutral and are laden with implicit meanings that warrant in-depth study. The data source for this study comprised 13 verbal narratives from the Xpose Uncensored Trans 7 program on October 13, 2025, whichdiscussed practices in the pesantren environment. This study used a descriptive qualitative semantic approach with denotative-connotative meaning analysis. Data were collected through documentation, observation, and recording of words, phrases, and sentences, then validated through theoretical triangulation and repeated readings. The results of the study show that the thirteen expressions contain two contrasting layers of meaning. Denotatively, the narrative describes literal activities such as squatting, giving milk, giving envelopes, and involving santri in domestic work. However, connotatively, the narrative contains implicit meanings that are negative in value through the choice of diction (“tabah” [steadfast], ‘ngesot’ [sliding], “kaya raya” [rich], “free”), contrasting structures (the conjunctions ‘but’ and “even though”), and symbolic comparisons (satpol PP, feudalism) that emphasize degrading treatment, physical and mental burdens, the unnatural giver-receiver relationship, and the shift in the role of santri from subjects of education to objects of command. The analysis identifies four themes of negative representation: (1) degrading physical treatment; (2) spiritual-based economic exploitation; (3) the shift in the educational role of santri; and (4) comparisons with the feudal system. These findings show that the narrative of Xpose Uncensored Trans 7 not only conveys factual information but also actively shapes and reinforces negative representations of Islamic boarding schools through hidden semantic mechanisms. This study contributes to the development of critical media literacy by revealing the mechanisms of meaning construction in television media narratives, an area that has not been widely explored in semantic studies.]]>
